Nancy Pelosi announces impeachment inquiry - what happens next?
House Speaker says that Trump ‘must be held accountable’

Democrats have opened a formal impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump over allegations he sought help from a foreign power to damage a political rival.
At a news conference, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that the House of Representatives will examine whether Trump sought Ukraine's help to smear former vice president Joe Biden, the frontrunner for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
Pelosi said the US president’s actions had “seriously violated the constitution” and amounted to “a betrayal of our national security”. She added: “The president must be held accountable. No one is above the law.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
However, Trump described the move as “witch hunt garbage” and “presidential harassment”.
House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy backed the president when he said that Pelosi “does not speak for America when it comes to this issue,” adding: “She cannot unilaterally decide we're in an impeachment inquiry.”
Impeachment is when a legislative body formally applies charges against the president. Beginning in impeachment inquiry does not mean automatic removal from office and is only the first step towards ejection.
Pelosi said that as a committee investigates the US president's phone call with the Ukrainian leader, six congressional committees investigating Trump on other matters will also continue under the umbrella of a formal impeachment inquiry.
CNN says that while the overall outcome is uncertain, “we will almost certainly have a full House vote on whether Trump deserves to be impeached”.
Democrats hold a 235-197 majority in the House of Representative, giving them far more than the 218 votes required to impeach.
However, an impeachment inquiry would be unlikely to pass the Republican-controlled Senate.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news agenda - try The Week magazine. Get your first six issues for £6–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Pelosi’s move came after a US intelligence whistle-blower accused the president of “multiple acts” of misconduct including making a secret promise to a foreign leader.
The whistle-blower has lodged a formal complaint about a phone call Trump made with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky.
Democrats say Trump threatened to withhold military aid to force Ukraine to investigate corruption allegations against former vice president Joe Biden and his son Hunter.
Although Trump has admitted discussing Biden with Zelensky, he said he was merely trying to get Europe to step up assistance by threatening to withhold military aid.
Taking to Twitter, Trump has promised to release a transcript of his conversation with Ukraine's president today to show it was “totally appropriate”.
The move towards an impeachment has been coming for some time but commencing an inquiry means a milestone has been passed. “The dam has broken. The genie is out of the bottle,” writes the BBC’s Anthony Zurcher.
USA Today points out that in a twist of fate, Trump is set to meet Zelensky in person today at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. All eyes will be on how the unpredictable president reacts in the days ahead.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Viktor Orban: is time up for Europe's longest-serving premier?
Today's Big Question Hungarian PM's power is under threat 'but not in the way – or from the people – one might expect'
-
Operation Rubific: the government's secret Afghan relocation scheme
The Explainer Massive data leak a 'national embarrassment' that has ended up costing taxpayer billions
-
Melania Trump's intervention on Ukraine
In The Spotlight The first lady has been linked to the president's U-turn on sending arms to Kyiv
-
Melania Trump's intervention on Ukraine
In The Spotlight The first lady has been linked to the president's U-turn on sending arms to Kyiv
-
Big, beautiful bill: Supercharging ICE
Feature With billions in new funding, ICE is set to expand its force of agents and build detention camps capable of holding more than 100,000 people
-
Deportations: Citizens could be next
Feature the Trump is expanding denaturalization efforts, targeting naturalized citizens and birthright citizenship
-
Ukraine: Trump's mixed messages
Feature Trump reverses a Pentagon freeze on Patriot missiles to Ukraine as Russia ramps up air attacks
-
Supreme Court: Ceding more power to Trump?
Feature SCOTUS has given Trump a victory by ending nationwide injunctions, limiting judges' power to block presidential orders
-
The Pam Bondi and Dan Bongino schism threatens Trump's DOJ
In the Spotlight Two MAGA partisans find themselves on either end of a growing scandal over Jeffrey Epstein and his ties to White House officials
-
Secret Service 'failures' on Trump shooting
Speed Read Two new reports detail security breakdowns that led to attempts on the president's life
-
Trump uses tariffs to upend Brazil's domestic politics
IN THE SPOTLIGHT By slapping a 50% tariff on Brazil for its criminal investigation into Bolsonaro, the Trump administration is brazenly putting its fingers on the scales of a key foreign election